SeaWorld to end shows by orcas in San Diego
SAN DIEGO— SeaWorld will end its orca shows at its San Diego park by 2017, its top executive said Monday, saying customers at the location have made clear they prefer killer whales acting more naturally rather than doing tricks.
CEO Joel Manby told investors that the park — where the iconic shows of killer whales doing flips and other stunts debuted decades ago — will offer a different kind of orca experience focusing on the animal’s natural setting and its behaviors, starting in 2017.
Animal rights activists called the move a marketing gimmick and want the company to phase out holding whales in captivity at all.
The Orlando, Fla.based company has seen revenue drop since the 2013 release of the documentary “Blackfish” that examined how orcas respond to captivity, particularly in the case of Tilikum, a killer whale that caused trainer Dawn Brancheau’s 2010 death by pulling her into a pool at SeaWorld Orlando.
Attendance has dropped the most at its San Diego location, and the decision to end such shows would be limited for now to that park, the original home of Shamu. Shows at its other parks, including in San Antonio and Orlando, will continue.
“The theatrical production of the show in that market is what they wanted to see less of,” Manby said of San Diego’s customers. “But it’s not universal across our properties.”
Manby told investors that the new killer whale attraction will “have a strong conservation message.”
The Shamu stadium that hosted its killer whale shows were the park’s main draw in the 1970s and helped build SeaWorld as a top attraction. Trainers would ride the whales in the giant pool before getting out and signaling for the orca to slap its tail in the water to splash spectators in a “splash zone.”
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals said the move does not go far enough and urged investment in whale sanctuaries.
SeaWorld earlier this year announced plans for a $100 million expansion of the San Diego park’s killer whale tanks to boost attendance, but Manby indicated to investors it may shelve that project now.
The California Coastal Commission endorsed the plans last month on the condition SeaWorld agree to stop breeding orcas in captivity and not transfer or sell them.
The company has said it plans to challenge that decision in court. Manby said Monday that the company had no other choice because the ruling set a “bad precedent” for not only SeaWorld but all zoos, aquariums and other animal parks.